


Stolen

by orphan_account



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-09-13 17:57:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16897314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: When Nori gets arrested, again, for stealing, even though he doesn’t need the gold anymore.  To stop it from being an issue, you come up with a creative way to satisfy his uncontrollable urge to pickpocket.





	Stolen

“Damn it, Nori!”  You shouted at Dwalin when he came to you and told you what happened.  “Why can’t…he doesn’t…”  You put your head in your hands and let out a loud yell, venting your frustrations before you took a deep breath and looked to Dwalin.  “Have you told Dori yet?”

 

“No.”  The guard gruffed out before leading you down the path towards the cells.  “Thought you were a better choice.” 

 

You nodded, sighing again as you passed some other guards.  “Thank you, Dwalin.  Dori would just scream at him, that wouldn’t do no good.” 

 

“Aye.  That’s what I thought.  Thought maybe a pretty lass who was givin’ her heart would be able to, though.”  That smirk, that damn smirk on his face, you were going to wipe it off with his axes if he didn’t stop. 

 

“Dwalin, stop.  Thinking is never a good idea for you.”  You warned.  You considered Dwalin like a brother, having befriended him on the journey when you stumbled across the company before Rivendell.  Dwalin seemed to regard you as a little sister, which meant you got all the teasing that went with it, especially about the darrow who had caught your eye.

 

“Just sayin’, I hope you can get through to him.  He has been given some leniency because he was in the company, but I don’t know how much longer that will hold out.”  Dwalin stopped and nodded to the cell at the end of the row.

 

You took a deep breath before handing over a pouch of gold.  “That should cover his bail.”  And with that, you walked to Nori’s cell.  It was sad, but he actually had a cell that they put him in every time he was here…it was his cell.  And if someone else was in it when he got arrested, they would move the other person so he could be in there…

 

“Nori.”  You spoke steadily, looking to the dwarf who sat against the wall.

 

“Where’s Dori?”

 

“He doesn’t know you’re down here.”  You answered quickly, taking in every detail, not missing the bit about how his eyebrow seemed to be split open as if he had been struck in the face.  You leaned forward against the bars.  “Who hit you?” 

 

He mumbled under his breath, turning his head away from you.  “Nori?”  But he only mumbled again.  “You know what…maybe I should just go get Dori.”  You didn’t even get a step in before Nori scrambled up and reach through the bars to grab your hand, giving you a pleading look.  His big eyes staring at you and you smirked, knowing he was powerless against you now.  “Who hit you?”

 

“I…ran…” 

 

“What was that?”

 

“I ran…into.”

 

“Gotta speak louder!”  You shouted.

 

“I ran into a door!” 

 

The silence that followed was comical, but not as comical as Dwalin doubling over as he laughed, having heard Nori shout from down the hall.  But you didn’t laugh, you just smiled at him before running a thumb over the injury.  “Let’s get you out and I will take a look at it, okay?” 

 

Nori just nodded as the two of you sat in silence as another guard came and opened the cell door, releasing Nori into your custody.  It wasn’t the first time you had come to bail him out of jail, and each time you had hoped it would be the last, but you were a realist.

 

“Why do you do it, Nori?  It’s not like you need the gold.”  You asked as you walked with him back to his home, hoping that maybe if he as with you he wouldn’t try to snag anything else. 

 

“Old habits and all of that…like the challenge.”  You just rolled your eyes at that and scoffed.

 

“That challenge is going to get you killed one of these days.”  You let your eyes drift down to the floor, noting the way the stone underfoot was slightly cracked with age, and with some claw marks from Smaug’s takeover.

 

“Didn’t know you cared, lass.”  Nori joked, nudging you with his elbow, trying to make a joke as you came up to his door, the house he shared with Ori and Dori. 

 

“That’s because you’re an idiot.”  You didn’t stop at the door like he expected, didn’t follow him in to chat or catch up, instead you just kept walking, head down to the ground and looking lost in thought. 

 

“You’re not going to tell Dori?”  He shouted to you, making you stop and turn to him, a slight smile on your face.  It was playing dirty, but frankly you didn’t care.  If you had to play dirty to get through to him, so be it.

 

“No.  But you should.”  You saw the shadow of guilt pass over Nori’s face.  He really was a sweet dwarf, he just…lacked common sense at times.  He never had a life like this, where he didn’t have to steal to survive, and now, it was like he couldn’t cope.  He needed something else to get him through, before his crimes became too numerous for even Thorin to ignore.

 

It was that thought that kept you up all night, trying to think of what you could do.  The idea of buying off some shopkeepers had occurred to you, but that wouldn’t offer a challenge.  As Nori was fond of saying ‘no risk, no challenge’.  You needed something else, something that would offer him a challenge but wouldn’t get him in trouble.  Something that he could focus on instead of the market…something that…wait…that was it!

 

000

 

“Nori!  Door!”  Ori shouted as he smiled at you.  You didn’t even have to say anything and the young dwarf knew why you were there.  Dori and Ori had both picked up on your feelings for their brother, but kept their mouths shut, thankfully.  Dori would always whisper to you when he could, saying that Nori has changed since he met you, but you didn’t believe him.  If he had changed, he wouldn’t keep landing in jail, now would he? 

 

“Lass, what are you doing here?”  Nori was still half asleep when he pulled himself out of bed.  You didn’t miss the look Dori gave him as he walked by, making you smile, he must have told Dori what had happened.  And if you had to bet from Nori’s exhaustion, Dori probably kept him up all night to yell at him.

 

“I, uh…”  You looked to Dori and Ori, who watched you curiously before you turned back to Nori.  “You want a challenge, so I’m offering it to you.”  You stood up straight and squared off at him.  You quickly removed a scarf you had wrapped around your neck to show a silver chain with a gold coin hanging from it. 

 

“What’s that?”  Ori squeaked, but was silenced by his eldest brother.

 

“It is Nori’s challenge.  Every day, I will hide this gold coin somewhere on my person.  Your task is to get it from me.  You have to get it without me, or anyone else, noticing.  If you can do that for five days in a row…I will make those cookies you love so much, or whatever dessert you want.” 

 

Nori’s eyes lit up as he grinned from ear to ear.  “Really?” 

 

“Yes.”  You chuckled as he looked to his brothers, excited for a new challenge.  “But the deal is off if you steal anything else.”  You added quickly.  “I can’t watch you rot in that cell, Nori…so promise me.  It’s another challenge, promise me you won’t steal from anyone else but me.”

 

Nori was taken aback, his braided eyebrows jumping up into his hairline as you stated your conditions.  He thought it over for a second, gently running his fingers over one of his braids before he spoke.  “What about Ori?”

 

You rolled your eyes.  “Okay, me and Ori, but that’s it.”

 

“Dori?”

 

“And Dori too…sorry Dori.”

 

“I’ll take it if it keeps him out of prison.”  Dori offered with a grin.  He couldn’t believe what you were accomplishing.

 

“Well…what about Dwalin?  It is really fun taking his dagger, and it’s like training for him, really-.”

 

“You can’t steal from anyone outside of the company and myself, deal?!”  You scoffed, your patience running thin.  Why did this damn dwarf have to make everything so damn hard?!

 

He grinned and nodded.  “Deal.”  And then he held up his hand to reveal a gold coin with a punched hole in it. 

 

Your mouth fell open as you reached up to feel your necklace, the gold coin gone.  “What…how…what?!” 

 

“This will be fun.  Try somewhere more challenging tomorrow.”  Nori winked before he slowly shut the door, leaving you in stunned silence in the hallway.

 

000

 

“Now you’re just showing off.”  You grumbled under your breath.  The deal you struck with Nori was working perfectly.  He was still feeling the challenge, but he wasn’t getting arrested for it.  Granted, he almost did when he literally stole Thorin’s crown, but Thorin took it in stride when he heard about the bargain and didn’t press charges. 

 

Nori took a great deal of joy getting that gold coin from you, and even more joy in teasing you about it.  Like today.  You had the gold coin wrapped around your ankle today…until you went to purchase some new boots, at which time it was hanging from your wrist on a shiny new bangle bracelet. 

 

“You better not have stolen this!”  You shouted to the air, making the shop keeper give you a suspicious look, but you ignored them, smiling instead at the little gift Nori had granted you.  It was a simple gold bangle ring that you honestly have no idea how he got on your hand without realizing it, but you loved it nonetheless. 

 

The challenge had gone on for weeks, you having to get creative with your hiding places.  You even put it down the front of your dress once, thinking he could never get it from you there without you noticing.  You were wrong…and you somehow had this feeling he coped a feel while he was at it. 

 

But what was strange was every few days, Nori would put the coin back on you with some gift.  The first gift was the golden bangle, then a beautiful blue hair ribbon, a new dagger (the coin was hanging from the hilt), and then your latest gift, a simple gold chain necklace.  It wasn’t that you minded the gifts, in fact, you loved them, but you had to wonder why he was doing it.

 

You had asked Dori about it, and Ori, but neither of them would tell you.  Instead, they just gave you this look, a smile, and then a hug.  Weirdos. So, that meant you had to go to the source.  You figured Nori would be hanging out in the market.  Even though he wasn’t stealing, he loved to put the guards on edge when they saw him looking around, and he was doing that today, tormenting them when he would pick up something and look at it for a while, then put it back before walking off.

 

“Why?”  You asked as you stepped beside Nori as he walked down the street.

 

“You know I love getting them worked up.  Look, they are even asking the shopkeeper if something is missing.  Look like paranoid fools they do.”  Nori chuckled as he glanced over his shoulder.

 

“No, not that…why are you giving me gifts?”  That stopped Nori in his tracks.  He shuffled his feet a bit before looking up at you with a timid smile. 

 

“It’s a reward...” 

 

“For picking a poor hiding spot for my coin?”  You joked, seeing as he had never missed a day so far to get that damn gold coin from you, except the day you had it hanging from your belt.  Dori had spotted him, but the coin had slid back, over your rear…Dori thought Nori was trying to do something else, the results were hilarious.  But even so, you have been doing a lot of baking lately, especially after he requested a raspberry crème cake. 

 

“No…for stealing something from me.”  Nori said with this nervous smirk on his face.

 

Your brows furrowed together as you thought.  You hadn’t taken anything from him…well, his cloak, but that was on the journey, he couldn’t still be on about that, and technically, he gave it to you.  “I didn’t…what did I take?”  You asked curiously, leaning in to whisper to Nori.

 

He smiled at you.  “My heart.” 

 

You swooned, straight up, let out a happy gasp sound and smiled.  Your body was tingling, the energy running around you as you heard Nori’s words.  You tried to say something, to return the confession, but there was only one thing that you could get to come out.

 

“That was a corny line.”

 

Nori barked out a laugh as he reached out and put his hands on your waist.  “Aye, but it don’t make it less true.  You have stolen my heart, lass.  It’s not easy to steal from a thief, so you earned some rewards.”  He leaned his head against yours, your foreheads brushing together for one intimate moment.  He ran a finger down your cheek and slowly leaned in, gaging your reaction. 

 

You smiled before gripping his tunic in your hands and pulling him forward into a kiss.  His lips were soft, you hadn’t expected that, his hands were gentle on your hips, and warm as they slid around you, encompassing you in an embrace as he kissed the air from you. 

 

“Well, I’m glad I’m not the only one whose heart has been stolen.”  You whispered to him, loving that happy beam of a smile that came from him.

 

“Aye…oh, and this is yours.”  Nori held up his hand, revealing the gold coin.  

 

Your mouth dropped open and you stepped back.  “How did you get it?!  It was in my damn boot!” 

 

Nori broke out in laughter as you lifted your foot and inspected the soul of your shoe, maybe you had a hole in it.  “Tell me!”  You said as you leaned into him, “it will drive me mad!” 

 

Nori wrapped you up in his arms again as he shook his head.  “A thief never reveals their secrets.”

 

“That’s a magician, Nori.” 

 

“Well then, I guess I’m magic.”

 

“Nori…”  You whined, making him chuckle before he caught your lips in another kiss, shifting so you could wrap your arms around his neck to hold him closer. 

 

“You know…it could be a courting gift, if you told me.”  You nuzzled his jaw with your nose, feeling him give you a happy squeeze.

 

“You always come up with the best bargains.”  He whispered into your ear, before kissing you sweetly again. 

 

And later, after Nori had walked you home, giving you a playful bow and kiss of the hand, you got settled down for bed.  While changing, you found a metal ring in the pocket of your dress.  You had never felt as happy as you stared down at the gold coin on the ring, along with Nori’s courting bead. 

 

First thing tomorrow, you would go to his home and ask him to braid it into your hair…if he could steal it from you first.


End file.
